ἐπισωρεύω
episōreúō
G2002 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To heap up, pile up further, or accumulate in addition; to increase an amount by adding more, either literally (heaping up objects) or figuratively (adding to something immaterial, such as sins or burdens). The core sense is to add more to an existing accumulation, thus intensifying what is already present.
Semantic Range
to heap up, to accumulate further, to pile up in addition, to add repeatedly or excessively, figuratively to intensify or increase (particularly something negative, e.g., sins, teachers, burdens)
Root / Etymology
From the preposition ἐπί (upon, on, in addition) and σωρεύω (to heap, to pile); the verb ἐπισωρεύω literally means 'to heap upon, to pile up in addition.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Hellenistic and Koine Greek, ἐπισωρεύω is a compound rarely found outside biblical or late Jewish literature. The term is primarily attested in the Greek Bible (e.g., 2 Timothy 4:3; 2 Chronicles 36:14 LXX), where it mostly occurs in figurative contexts to describe accumulating something negative, such as wrongdoings, teachers, or offenses—amplifying the seriousness or quantity of what is being heaped up. In 2 Timothy 4:3 it denotes people 'accumulating teachers' to suit their own desires, while in the Septuagint, it can be used for 'piling up' transgressions or abominations. Earlier classical literature uses the simplex σωρεύω, but the intensive ἐπισωρεύω is characteristic of the language of emphasis typical of Jewish-Greek and New Testament contexts. Standard English translations like 'heap up' or 'accumulate' capture the general meaning but often do not convey the nuance of intensification (adding to an existing amount, usually with a negative connotation).
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἐπί and σωρεύω; to accumulate further, i.e. (figuratively) seek additionally:--heap.
Root Family
ἐπισωρεύω (episōreuō) — to heap, to pile, to accumulate
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2002-01 |
ἐπισωρεύσουσιν | episoreusousin | V FUT ACT IND 3P PL |
heap up | they will heap up further | they will heap up | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2002-01 |
2 Timothy 4:3 | ἐπισωρεύσουσιν | episoreusousin | V FUT ACT IND 3P PL |
heap up | they will heap up further | they will heap up |